Sister, Sister
by 23a
Summary: As the dust settles from the Battle of Hogwarts, Narcissa reunites with her sister Andromeda for the first time in decades. One-shot.


**A/N: So this idea just entered my head and I figured I'd write it down. I'm not sure if I really like how it turned out, but oh well. **

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The dust from the battle had begun to settle, and Narcissa Malfoy sat by her husband and son, watching the students of Hogwarts, the Ministry employees, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix, whoever was left of it, clean up the destruction that had occurred. She debated going to help them, but she didn't know how they would react. She didn't want to risk leaving, either, as that would draw attention to them, and, most likely, get them arrested. Now that this war was over she honestly didn't know who she was anymore. All she had wanted to do was keep her family alive through it. And she had. But now she had to face the consequences of what she had done.

When lunchtime came, food was provided to the people in the hall, but Narcissa couldn't bring herself to eat. As the food was cleared away and the afternoon began, the families of those who had fallen in the battle started to arrive, and as Narcissa looked over at the lifeless body of her niece, she realized that her sister would be here soon. She hadn't seen Andromeda since she had left the family, since before Nymphadora was born. She had wanted to, so many times, but she had always been too afraid. She was ever more afraid now. People milled about, and the Potter boy came back into the hall. He looked at her, and she met his gaze, daring him to question her on why she had lied to the Dark Lord on his behalf.

Then came the voice. "Dora!" her sister screamed, and looking over she saw her sister on her knees by her daughter's body, holding a small bundle in her arms that must be Nymphadora's son. She didn't know his name. She instinctively placed her arm around Draco. As she looked at Andromeda, so much older, her faced age by years and tragedy, she remembered just how much she looked like Bellatrix. In all that had happened, she hadn't had the time to think on it, but her sister was dead. She had been cruel, deranged, even, but Narcissa remembered her before she was that, when they played together as children. She had always looked up to Bella; she had followed her into the ranks of the Dark Lord's followers, after all.

She contemplated whether to go and say something to Andromeda, but she didn't know what she would say. She didn't have to decide; when Andromeda raised her tear-stained face, she met her younger sister's eyes. She rose and began to walk over to them, and Narcissa felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Dromeda. Long time no see."

"Cissy." Andromeda looked her up and down. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"I mean, why are you here instead of a cell in Azkaban?"

"Excuse me?"

"You... you followed Lord Voldemort, you killed people-"

"I never killed anybody!" It was true; she hadn't. She felt Lucius's eyes on her, but she wasn't thinking about him now.

"Well you certainly didn't stop them!"

"I'm sorry about Nymphadora, I-"

"Don't speak her name! She's dead because of you."

"Actually, she's dead because of Bella."

At that, Andromeda stopped talking, and all the color drained from her face. "B-Bella killed her?"

Narcissa nodded slowly. "I am sorry." She looked at the child her sister was holding. "This is her son, right?"

Andromeda nodded. "Teddy. After... after Ted."

At the sadness in her sister's voice, Narcissa almost felt the urge to hug her. She had lost her husband and then her daughter in so short a time; that was the worst thing Narcissa could imagine. It was why she had joined the Death Eaters in the first place. "I was wrong about him," she said, and Andromeda looked at her sharply. "He was a good man."

"But he was Muggle-born," said Andromeda incredulously.

"In spite of that. He made you happy. And as your sister, that should have been enough for me."

She pretended not to see the tears in her sister's eyes. "And Bella, she's-"

"Dead. Molly Weasley killed her."

Andromeda looked over at the Weasley family, the mass of redheads surrounding the body of... one of them, Narcissa couldn't remember which. So many people had died in this battle. Too many.

"Her body's in the chamber to the side," she added. "If you wanted to see her."

"What, see a dead body that looks like me?"

"I don't know."

Andromeda looked now at Draco. "Hello."

He frowned. "So you're my aunt?"

"Yes."

"The one who married a-" He stopped talking, and Narcissa looked at him in mild surprise. He had never had issue with saying the word before.

"Yes." There was a silence for a brief moment, then she turned away and started walking towards other people.

"Wait!" called Narcissa, before she was aware of what she was doing.

Her sister turned back to her. "What?"

"Do you remember-when I was nine, and you went off to Hogwarts, and I was terrified of being alone in that house with our parents, and you promised to send me back something from Hogwarts, and you sent me that pebble from the grounds?"

"What about it?" Her tone was icier now.

"I still have it. In the drawing-room at home. Just thought you should know."

"Don't, Cissy." She shook her head. "You can't just pretend now that it's over that it never happened. You joined him. The first time and the second. Willingly."

"Bella was persuasive, she convinced me it was right. I always had my doubts. I wanted to protect my family. I never really joined him, you know." She pulled up her sleeve, showing her sister her unmarked left arm. "No Dark Mark. I was never truly one of them."

"You wanted to protect your family," Andromeda repeated. She looked back over at Nymphadora's body. "What about Dora? She's your family. Look what happened to her."

"I made the safe choice, not the brave one," Narcissa said. "I know that. But I am not one to fight with authority."

"Clearly. You obeyed our parents, and you obeyed Lord Voldemort."

"I didn't tonight."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I saved Harry Potter's life."

"What?"

"He asked me to tell him whether the boy was dead... and I said he was... even though he wasn't."

Her sister looked at her for a long moment. "Why?"

"So I could save my son. Because as I told you, Andromeda, I value my family. Not the Dark Lord."

"Be that as it may, if you expect me to forgive you now-"

"I didn't say I did. I just missed you."

Her sister finally looked into her eyes. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you too."

"Would you... have lunch with me, sometime?"

"I'll think about it." She turned away, back to her daughter's body, and Narcissa felt tears rolling down her face.


End file.
